There's something about finishing that is very hard for people. My brother got to the last quarter of a five-year program and dropped out. My wasband also dropped out at the end of his graduate program. All I can think is that it represents a permanent change and change is very, very scary - even if it might be a good change, it's unknown territory. I do admit to some butterflies over no longer being a grad student working towards a PhD. Now I have to make it mean something!

And pay off the student loans The way we imagine our lives is the way we are going to go on living our lives.